1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data processing methods for automatically detecting and handling likely failure events experienced by users of a web site or other interactive service.
2. Description of the Related Art
Web sites or other interactive services commonly provide mechanisms for users to provide feedback regarding problems they encounter. Typical problems that are reported include errors on the web site, such as pages that do not resolve or functionality that is broken. The operator of a web site may use such feedback to correct errors and make general improvements to the web site. In some cases, the operator may also provide personalized responses to the feedback messages received from users.
For complex web sites that support large numbers of users (e.g., millions of customers), this method of obtaining user feedback has significant limitations. For example, large numbers of users may provide feedback on the same type of problem, even though feedback from a small number of users may be sufficient to correct the problem. In addition, a significant portion of the feedback messages collected from users may provide suggestions that are of little or no value to the service provider. Thus, a heavy burden is often placed on those responsible for reviewing and responding to feedback messages, especially if an attempt is made to respond to each message.
In many cases, a user's inability to perform a particular task may be the result of an error on the part of the user. For example, in attempting to locate a particular item in an online catalog or directory, the user may search for the item in the wrong category or may inaccurately describe the item in a search query. This type of error is often unreported by the user and therefore goes unnoticed by the service provider. By failing to receive or review feedback on these types of problems, the web site or other interactive service operator provides a substandard experience to the user that may result in lost business.